DONATISTS. As a direct result of the persecution of Diocletian, there arose among the
Christians a great enthusiasm for sufferings, and even for death, for the sake
of the faith. They were demanded to surrender their sacred books; but not only
did many refuse to comply with this demand, but some even stepped forward
purposely, and boasted that they had the books, and could by no means be forced
to give them up. The name of a traditor, that is, one who has
surrendered his Bible, became extremely odious. Mensurius, Bishop of Carthage,
openly opposed the fanaticism of the voluntary martyrs and the extravagant
reverence shown to confessors. He sent his archdeacon, Cæcilianus, into
the prisons where the confessors sat, and had the crowds which gathered there
in enthusiastic devotion dispersed by force. But thereby the fanatics became
only so much the more excited, and it was to be expected that they would seize
upon the first opportunity to avenge themselves. In 305 a synod was convened at
Cirta; but, before the synod was opened, the primate of Numidia, Bishop
Secundus of Tigisis, proposed that an investigation should be made, whether
there were any traditores among the assembled. The result of the investigation
was, that nearly every one of the bishops present was proved guilty of the
crime, in some form or other. Suspicion fell even upon Secundus himself. He was
consequently compelled to drop the investigation; but he, nevertheless, saw fit
to assume the attitude of a guardian of the discipline of the Church, and, when
he heard of the troubles which had occurred in Carthage, he sent a warning to
Mensurius and Cæcilianus. Mensurius died 311, and, according to the
common course of affairs, the archdeacon succeeded the bishop; and, as
Cæcilianus was known to hold the same views as Mensurius, the moderates
hastened to elect him, without awaiting the arrival of the Numidian bishops,
and without inviting the primate, Secundus of Tigisis, to perform the
consecration. The Numidian bishops felt much offended at the slight shown to
them, and allied themselves with the rigorists. Secundus convened a synod, and
summoned Cæcilianus to defend himself. As Cæcilianus did not appear
before the synod, he was deposed and excommunicated, and Majorinus was elected
in his stead. When Majorinus died (in 313), Donatus, called the Great, became
his successor.

Thus the schism originated in the Church of Carthage. There
were two bishops and two congregations. From the capital it spread through the
whole province. A majority of the country people, and a considerable number of
bishops, declared in favor of Donatus. Outside of Africa, however,
Cæcilianus was generally recognized as the legitimate bishop; and the

[p.660]

opposite party (the pars Majorini, afterwards the pars Donati, the Donatiani, or Donatistæ) were
considered as schismatics who had separated from the true Catholic Church. In
an edict of 313 Constantine the Great promised
the Church of Africa his protection; but the Donatists were expressly excluded
from the imperial favor. They immediately addressed themselves to the emperor,
and begged him to examine their complaints against Cæcilianus. He
consented, and appointed a committee of five bishops from Gaul, with
Melchiades, Bishop of Rome, at its head. The committee summoned,
Cæcilianus, and ten African bishops of each party, to its presence.
Donatus of Casæ Nigræ was the spokesman of the Donatists; but, in
spite of all his exertions, Cæcilianus was acquitted, and Donatus was de
posed. The other Donatist bishops were allowed to retain their office and
dignity, on the condition that they returned to the Catholic Church. But the
condemned would not submit. They complained to the emperor of the partiality of
the verdict, and begged that some juridically educated persons might be sent to
Africa, to hear witnesses, and gather evidence, and the case be laid before a
synod of bishops. Their request was granted, and imperial commissioners
appeared in Carthage. But the commissioners decided in favor of
Cæcilianus. The Donatists became extremely excited on account of this
verdict, and in an unfortunate moment they appealed directly to the emperor.
Constantine was astonished and disgusted, that he, a Pagan, was asked to decide
upon the internal affairs of the Christian Church; but he accepted,
nevertheless, the appeal, summoned Cæcilianus and his accusers to Milan
(316), and condemned the latter as guilty of calumny. All further resistance
now became a crime against the imperial majesty; but the Donatists,
nevertheless, refused to submit. Constantine referred, however, to ignore the
whole affair; and, although no less than two hundred and seventy Donatist
bishops were present at a synod held in 330, the policy adopted by the emperor
would probably have proved the best way of healing the schism.

Constans, however, did not continue his father's policy, and
the severity with which he treated the Donatists immediately produced very
strange effects. Africa suffered at that time much from a vicious kind of
ascetics, -the so-called Circumcelliones. An affiliation took place
between these Circumcelliones and the lower elements of the Donatist
party; and the result was a complete uproar, which, however, was speedily
suppressed by Taurinus (345). At this time Cæcilianus died, and an
opportunity. presented itself of healing the schism by recognizing the Donatist
bishop. But the Donatists had made themselves so despised and hated, that a
compromise was impossible. Gratus succeeded Cæcilianus as Catholic
bishop, and the schism continued. Soon a new uproar broke out. As most of the
Donatists belonged to the poor class, and many were completely destitute,
Constans sent (in 348) Paul and Macarius to Africa to try to reconcile them by
means of a liberal support. But Donatus the Great declared with vehemence
against this attempt of seduction; and Donatus of Bagai met the negotiators at
the head of a swarm of armed Circumcelliones. The commotion, however,
was speedily suppressed. Donatus of Bagai was decapitated, Donatus the Great
was banished, and the Donatist churches were closed. A complete change took
place in the condition of the party when Julian ascended the throne. It was his
policy to fight the Catholic Church by means of heretics and schismatics. The
Donatists were immediately allowed to use; their churches, and their banished
bishops returned. Donatus the Great had died; but Julian appointed Parmenianus
his successor, and estab lished him in Carthage by means of force. The
Donatists had for a short time the power, and they did not use it sparingly.
But Valentinian I. and Gratian issued again very severe laws against them (373
and 375).

Meanwhile the inner decay of the sect had begun. One of its
most prominent members, Tychonius, distinguished for his great learning, and
appreciated as the author of the Regulas septem ad investigandion
intelligentiam Sacrarum Seripturarion, rejected the Novatian views held by most Donatists, and objected to
the ostentatious exclusiveness of the party. Such milder and more moderate
views found many adherents; and Primianus, the successor of Parmenianus,
belonged. to the moderate side of the sect, and came soon in conflict with the
extremists, at whose head stood the deacon Maximianus. The conflict was. very
bitter; and, when he ventured to excommunicate Maximianus, the extremists
convened a synod (393), deposed him, and elected Maximianus bishop in his
stead. Thus there were three bishops in Carthage; and, just as the sect in
this. way was gliding down into a state of dissolution, it encountered its most
decided and most powerful adversary, Augustine.
After writing several books against the sect, as it would seem, without any
great effect, Augustine himself consented to an appeal to force, referring to
Luke xiv. 23. A synod of Carthage (405) petitioned the Emperor Honorius to
issue penal laws against the Donatists. The petition was granted: laymen should
be fined, clergymen banished, and the churches. closed. But Honorius could not
afford to make any more enemies than those he already had, and in 409 he issued
an edict of toleration; but this. edict raised such a storm in the Catholic
Church,, that it had to be immediately repealed. A disputation was then
arranged in Carthage (411), Collatio cum Donatistis. Two hundred and
eightysix Catholic and two hundred and seventy-nine Donatist bishops were
present: Augustine and Aurelius were the speakers of the former; Primianus and
Patilianus, those of the latter. For three days the debate lasted, but no
result was. arrived at. Finally the imperial commissioner declared the
Donatists vanquished, and very severe measures were decided upon against them.
In 414 they lost all civil rights; in 415 they were forbidden to assemble for
worshipping, under penalty of death. Nevertheless, they had not become extinct,
when, in the seventh century, the Saracens occupied the country, and destroyed
the African Church.